Efforts to save Oh’s life after the 25-minute flight to the capital lasted more than six hours. In the first 30 minutes, Lee and his team worked to keep Oh breathing.

“He has one (bullet) through his right knee joint, the other one is the tricep muscle area on his arm, the third one was his back, chest and coming out from his shoulder,” Lee told CNN as he reviewed a video that he shared with the network with Oh’s permission.

During a five-hour surgery to remove a bullet that had pierced the soldier’s intestines, Lee was working to repair at least seven wounds in the the man’s perforated bowel when he was shocked to find parasitic worms squirming out.

“Everything was stained with blood, but the parasite was basically a really white color and this thick, big, long and very, very hard, this kind of thing was getting out from his bowel system,” Lee said.

All of the parasites — some measuring more than 10 inches — were removed from Oh’s system, according to CNN.

Intestinal worms usually are transmitted through contact with feces or unwashed hands. The use of human fertilizer on crops and poor sanitary conditions also can lead to the transmission of parasitic cysts.

Lee has grown fond of Oh during the weeks after he saved his life.

“I’m very proud of him. He fled from North Korea seeking for liberty, much more freedom. It’s quite easy to say, but it’s really, really difficult to make it happen, so I admire him,” Lee said.